For our tailgate cleanup experience after the UGA – Missouri football game , we cleaned behind O-house near a river Sunday 11-1PM. Our role was to pick up as much trash as we could within that amount of time. Patrick and I teamed up, collecting as much as we could putting it in our trash bag. I found plenty of trash old and new, ranging from beer cans to styrofoam cups. We even found a whole tire and managed to pull it to the top of the hill. The group of us who were there continued to work, filling up five whole trash bags from the area.
I was very surprised to find out how much trash there was even after the paid cleanup crew swept the area. This made me realize the necessity of the cleanup, to back up the paid cleaners who did not pick up everything in the hardest spots to clean up.
The experience reminded me to be more careful about how I treat the environment. Even the smallest piece of trash has potential to affect ecosystems. I gained skills of getting my hands a little dirty to do a good service to the environment. however, I lack the skills to pick up every single bit of trash in the area. Due to objects being hidden or buried, I feel there is still more to be cleaned.
As a result of my experience, I will do everything in my power to keep UGA post-tailgate clean as possible. Any piece of trash I see in my line of sight will be picked up.